


Here Comes a Throught (Butterfly)

by The Almighty Drawing Tablet (CorugatortheTablet)



Category: Metallica
Genre: Fantasy, Friendship, Gen, Inspired by Steven Universe, M/M, SKOM era, Singing, Songfic, Therapy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-17
Updated: 2018-04-17
Packaged: 2019-04-23 23:43:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14343453
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CorugatortheTablet/pseuds/The%20Almighty%20Drawing%20Tablet
Summary: Phil teaches the band about flexibility, love and trust...





	Here Comes a Throught (Butterfly)

James, Lars and Kirk followed Phil into a lounge of sorts, wondering what the therapist had in store for them.  
  
Phil sat down cross-legged on the carpet. Kirk, James, and Lars followed suit, making it so that the four of them were sitting in a circle.  
  
“So, whaddaya have to say to us?” Kirk asked as he twiddled his thumbs.  
  
“For this band to work, there needs to be balance. Imbalance can cause the band and its members to lose touch with reality, see or feel things that aren’t there, and eventually fall apart.” Phil answered.  
  
“That’s exactly what happened when...” Lars trailed off, remembering the beginning of this mess. Jason leaving. James entering rehab. The arguments, the yelling, the slammed doors.  
  
“Precisely.” Phil said.  
  
“Wait, but... why are you telling us all this? What’s all this supposed to mean in terms of our band? In terms of Lars and I?” James asked.  
  
“Let me say what I have to say, and you’ll understand.” Phil chuckled softly, before continuing.  
  
“Now, you’re probably wondering ‘Phil, the hell were you talking about with the balance and stuff?’ Well, what I said means that if one of you is falling apart, your band will as well. Got that?”  
  
“Yeah... sorta...” James mumbled as the pieces slowly began to click into place.  
  
“To find balance, you must understand your feelings. To understand your feelings, you have to see them clearly without running from them.” Phil explained.  
  
There was silence as the three friends made sense of what Phil had told them.  
  
“Wait...” James blurted out, brow furrowed in confusion and concentration.  
  
“You said...” Lars trailed off and glanced at James, the confusion on his face mirroring James’.  
  
“See them clearly.” James finished.  
  
“The hell is that supposed to mean? “See your feelings clearly?””  
  
Phil chuckled, flashing the three men a patient, understanding smile.  
  
“I’ll show you, but first, you guys need to hold hands.” Phil directed, backing away from the circle.  
  
“Why though? Is there some magic between all three of us that won’t work unless we’re all holding hands or some shit?” James muttered as his fingers intertwined with Lars’. Kirk chuckled at the idea of magic as he clasped onto James’ hand.  
  
“Unity, James. Unity. You all must be as one.” Phil replied.  
  
Kirk, Lars, and James were now sitting in a circle, hands clasped, cross-legged, and utterly confused.  
  
“Close your eyes.” whispered the therapist.  
  
“Okay..” the three band members mumbled, taking a deep breath as they shut their eyes.  
  
“Breathe......” Phil instructed in a soothing, relaxing voice.  
  
The room was silent, save for the three band members’ deep breaths. The silence was broken by Phil speaking.  
  
“Here in darkness, everything is okay. Listen and hear a song the birds are singing, and let it fade away.” He paused for a second to let it all sink in.  
  
“Here comes a thought.”  
  
Almost instinctively, the boys’ eyes had all snapped open as one. When they looked around, they saw they were no longer inside HQ, but within some otherworldly realm.  
  
“ _Take a moment to think of just_  
_Flexibility, love and trust,_  
_Take a moment to think of just_  
_Flexibility, love and trust_ ,” Phil began to sing.  
  
Lars’ hand slipped into James as they walked around, exploring the area. Suddenly, a butterfly came flying James’ way.

_Here comes a thought_  
_That might alarm you_  
_What someone said_  
_And how it harmed you..._

“AH! WHAT THE FUCK!? GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME YOU LITTLE SHIT!!” James screamed as he ran after the offending butterfly.  
  
“James, wait!” Lars cried. He tried running after James, soon finding himself swarmed by thousands upon thousands of butterflies. He couldn’t see where he was going, and soon tripped and fell, the butterflies closing in on him.  
  
“JAMES!!” He yelled for his lover, reaching out into the fog of butterflies, tears streaming down his cheeks as the swarm threatened to suffocate him, swallowing his voice.  
  
Kirk meanwhile, encountered a butterfly on his index finger. He looked down sorrowfully at the butterfly before it flew away in Lars’ direction. Less than a second later, a raging storm of butterflies came rushing by Kirk to join the swarm that was imprisoning the little drummer. 

_Something you did,_  
_That failed to be charming_  
_Things that you said,_  
_Are suddenly swarming..._

Lars, meanwhile, had managed to get back up on his feet. He broke into a run, not caring that he didn’t know where he was going. The storm of butterflies had cleared a little, just enough for Lars to see James, infuriated at the one butterfly, cursing and jumping till he had broken down in angry tears. James bit his lip and shook his head, mentally scolding himself for crying.

_And oh,_  
_You’re losing sight,_  
_You’re losing touch,_

“Min Skat...” Lars whispered as the butterflies began to come back full force, reaching out once more to his lover, but too overwhelmed to do anything as once more, the butterflies separated them.  
  
“JAMES! _NO!!_ I...”  
Lars took a few steps back out of fear of the ever-growing mass of butterflies.

_All these little things_  
_Seem to matter so much..._  
_That they confuse you..._  
_That I might lose you . . ._

He then collapsed onto his knees, burying his face in his hands as he cried, heavy racking sobs that made his head hurt.

  _Take a moment, remind yourself_  
_To take a moment and find yourself,_  
_Take a moment and ask yourself_  
_If this is how we fall apart.._

James stopped, closed his eyes, and took several deep breaths in an attempt to calm down and stop assaulting the butterfly. Once he felt more peaceful, he opened his eyes, only to see Lars in tears. James ran as fast as he could towards Lars so he could hold and console him.

_But it’s not,_  
_But it’s not,_  
_But it’s not,_  
_But it’s not,_  
_But it’s not!_

  
“Lars!” he yelled into the twisting, turning mess of butterflies.

_It’s okay,_  
_It’s okay,_  
_It’s okay,_  
_It’s okay,_  
_It’s okay!_

At the sound of James’ voice, Lars perked up, brushing the bangs out of his eyes. And soon enough, he could see James, running towards him with open arms.

_You got nothing,_  
_Got nothing,_  
_Got nothing,_  
_Got nothing to fear!_

With a small scream of joy, he started running towards James too. When they were close enough to each other, James lifted Lars up into the air in his strong arms. James then held the love of his life close to his chest in a warm embrace Lars returned, vowing to never leave him again.

_I’m here, I’m here, I’m here, my dear!_

* * *

  
Clasping hands tightly, James and Lars walked alongside Kirk.  
  
“Kirk, are you alright?” Lars asked, noticing his bandmate’s downcast mood.  
  
Kirk said nothing as a butterfly landed on his finger.  
  
“ _Here comes a thought,  
That might alarm me,_ ” he sang softly as he knelt to the ground in an attempt to ignore the butterfly. 

_What someone said,_  
_And how it harmed me_

James approached him and put a comforting hand on his friend’s shoulder, just before a swarm of butterflies suddenly burst from Kirk’s pockets and hair. 

_Shit that we said  
Is suddenly swarming_

The drove of butterflies eventually combined into one, massive butterfly, which loomed over a trembling, teary-faced Kirk. 

_And oh,_  
_We’re losing touch_  
_We’re losing sight...._

Reflected in the butterfly was a memory, one tinged with regret, anger and sadness.  
  
_Not long before James had gone into rehab. They were in the studio, coming up with new ideas for songs. That day, James had been teasing Kirk, which was normal. But Kirk, out of annoyance, or perhaps being fed up with the playful jabs, had stood up and punched James hard in the face. The singer staggered backwards, his hand over the side of his face that Kirk had struck with his fists. James looked up at Kirk, a multitude of emotions flickering through his blue eyes. When their eyes met, Kirk let out an anguished wail before running out of the studio and out of HQ._

**\- ~_~ + ~_~ -**  
  
_All these little things_  
_Seem to matter so much..._  
_That they confuse us,_  
_That you might lose us...._

With a cry, Kirk pushed James and Lars away and ran from the butterfly that was causing him to relive that painful memory. James and Lars took off after Kirk, trying to get him to come back before he was swallowed by another drove of butterflies.

_Take a moment remind yourself,  
To take a moment and find yourself,_

Kirk eventually had to stop for a moment to catch his breath. His bandmates caught up to him soon after. At the sight of James, the person he’d hurt, Kirk wanted to run away all over again.

_Take a moment and ask yourselves  
If this is how we fall apart..._

“Kirk, you don’t have to run... James and I are here for you!” Lars whispered as he helped his friend up.  
  
“But... I hurt you—” Kirk stammered as fresh tears began to fall. But when he saw the concern and love in his friends’ eyes, he remembered that they still cared about him.

_But it’s not,_  
_But it’s not,_  
_But it’s not,_  
_But it’s not,_  
_But it’s not!_

“ _It’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay..._ ” James murmured, joining in with the song, before hugging Kirk close to him. Lars joined the embrace and there they stayed, bound by their friendship and camaraderie.  
  
“ _You got nothing, got nothing, got nothing, got nothing to fear!_ ” Lars sang softly.  
“I’m here!”  
“I’m here!” James chimed in.  
“We’re here!”  
  
They eventually walked back over to Phil, the butterflies fluttering peacefully around them.  
  
The four men hugged, before lying down on the ground side by side to watch the butterflies flutter far, far away.  
  
“ _And it was just a thought_  
_Just a thought,_  
_Just a thought,_  
_Just a thought,_  
_Just a thought..._ ” the  
foursome sang together, their voices combining in perfect harmony.  
  
“ _It’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay!_  
_We can watch, we can watch, we can watch, we can watch them go by_ ,”  
  
“ _From here,_ ” sang Kirk.  
  
“ _From here,_ ” James echoed.  
  
“ _From here..._ ” Lars whispered with a smile.  
  
“ _Take a moment to think of just_  
_Flexibility love and trust,_  
_Take a moment to think of just,_  
_Flexibility, love and trust..._ ” the drummer sang softly as his hand found James’.

* * *

  
James and Lars found themselves laying the exact same way near the seashore a few months later, the butterflies settling around their feet.


End file.
